Appleby Mud Portraits

PhotographerTim Fisher

PrizeHonorable Mention

Entry Description

Appleby Horse Fair, is the largest such a event in the world.
This draws many people from across the UK, but notably from the Traveller communities, from Ireland, the north-east, the northwest, and central Britain.
Many have brought living wagons, the traditional horse drawn caravan, which can be a slow, gentle process, taking several weeks. In fact some choose to own such wagons simply to slow their pace of life down yet have no other connection to the community save this one aspect of life, they are not from the Gypsy / Romany / Traveller communities at all but subscribe to the way of life at certain times of the year, Appleby being one such event many such owners attend.
It is a meeting of the clans, at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, which has been taking place for many years, courts controversy most years but surveys in tact, partly thanks to the local community, district and county councils.